Extreme

by Paul Martin Emma Barrett

Why do some people risk their lives regularly by placing themselves in extreme and challenging situations? For some, such as astronauts, the extreme environments are part of the job. For others, they involve the thrill and competition of extreme sports, or the achievement of goals such as being the first to reach the South Pole or climb Everest. Whether for sport or employment, all these people have made the personal choice to put themselves in environments in which there is significant risk. What drives such people? And what skills and personality traits enable the best to succeed? What abilities are shared by the successful mountaineer, astronaut, caver, or long-distance solo sailer? And are there lessons the rest of us can learn from them? The psychology of those who have to cope with extreme conditions has been a matter of much research. It is important, for example to those planning manned space programmes or the makeup of teams who will spend months in an isolated or hostile environment such as Antarctica, to understand the psychological pressures involved, and to recognize those best equipped to handle them. In Extreme , Emma Barrett and Paul Martin explore the challenges that people in extreme environments face, including pain, physical hardship, loneliness, and friction between individuals, and the approaches taken to overcome them. Using many fascinating examples and personal accounts, they argue that we can all benefit from the insights gained.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Adventure

MP3 CD

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[The Conch]

Though this book doesn't give technique of how to survive extreme environment, but it throws light on psychology of those who like or deal with extreme environment like space, deep sea diver, climber etc.

This book provides answer to why some people chase extremities inspite of knowing death is waiting at the end.

[Ricki Ward]

This is an absolutely fascinating look at the physical and psychological challenges experienced by those in extreme environments (space travel, mountaineering, Arctic expeditions, etc.). I am most definitely not made of the right stuff for life on the edge, but I am in awe of those that are.

Disclaimer: This book has been provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Candice Landau]

When I started reading Extreme, I thought I was in for another slog through psychology studies not disimilar to the ones I have heard many a time (an unhappy consequence of modern popular science books). I was also somewhat annoyed that the initial studies presented pertained more to broader categories like sleep, diet, etc. I didn't want to have to put two and two together, I wanted the author to tell me HOW to thrive at the limits.

At this point it's worth noting that the title is "WHY some people thrive at the limits," and not "HOW some people thrive at the limits." In the case of "How" (what I was hoping for), I'd be given a method--a foolproof method for thriving during an extreme activity (example, scuba diving or horse riding). In the case of "Why," I need to extrapolate from the studies and examples and apply them to my activities.

As I read on, however, my initial annoyance dissipated. The studies and examples used to illustrate the studies were highly relevant, and many of the studies were ones I had not heard about, that had been performed by NASA, etc. Furthermore, the examples really did lead me to the "how" I was seeking.

Soon, I was surprised to find myself utterly absorbed. And even though I did come to understand more about why people thrive, I am confident that with successive reading, and by putting some of these findings into practice myself, I can figure out the "how."

Overall a very interesting book that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys learning.

[Anna]

A fairly interesting read. It looks at why some people are better equipped to survive in extreme environments than others. There were no real surprises in this book, but it was well-researched and well paced so you got a steady stream of information without ever being overwhelmed. Read it with Life at the Extremes by Frances Ashcroft to get a fuller view of what it takes to survive in extreme environments.

[Joe Hauglie]

Great research (like 20+ pages of endnotes) and well-documented work. Just a bit on the pedantic (yawn) side. But a good look at extreme activities, the people who do them, and why they tend to do them.

[Jesse Velvet]

Excellent read.

Very nourishing and fun however it did skim through a lot of the areas I would have liked to spent more time on.

Definitely one to wet the appetite for more in-depth books on psychology and exploration.

[Ted]

I really enjoyed this book. It's sort of a different flow than you might expect, the chapters are organized based on the important traits, skills, emotions, etc required. So one chapter is all about fear and how different expeditions, adventurers, astronauts, etc dealt with that. I thought it might have been more interesting to read about each story and adventurer, but I realized that wasn't the purpose of the book, I could read wikipedia or each biography to get more details of the story. The point of this story is to look at the important factors that affect people in extreme environments. It also looks at it from a well-sourced, scientific perspective combined with anecdotal stories that makes it both an interesting story and scientifically significant.

I just read through it without looking things up or taking any notes, but I think in the future I would like to mark some pages and take some notes to share some of the interesting tidbits in the book with other people so I recommend doing that while reading. Also, don't feel bad skipping paragraphs if a particular story or topic isn't most interesting.

Note: I received this book from the publisher through Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I don't usually buy new release hardcovers, but I would probably buy this on paperback when it does come out (or a discount hardcover).

[Susan]

Some enjoy venturing into extreme environments, where survival depends on meticulous planning and managing risks. In Extreme: Why Some People Thrive at the Limits, Emma Barrett and Paul Martin describe the skills and mindset required of those who relish diving into the ocean depths, descending into caves to crawl among narrow spaces, working for months in contained modules in outer space, climbing mountains, or hiking the world’s remote deserts, jungles and polar regions.

Such capabilities can be developed and practiced, argue Barrett and Martin. "Being brave, making good decisions, planning and preparing, dealing with social conflict, working in small groups, learning to focus attention, coping with boredom, sleeping well, and building psychological resilience are valuable skills in everyday life, just as they are in extreme environments."

Barrett and Martin do not explicitly mention climate change or global warming, but communities increasingly must cope with disasters of human making and those exacerbated by poor planning ....

Read more of my review at YaleGlobal.

[Dana]

The reason I find myself drawn to autobiographies where a person emerges from a situation that seems unimaginable is largely due to my quest to discover how people thrive at the limits. This interest made me want to read "Extreme". The book advanced some interesting ideas about survival, but the format and writing was better suited to a high school or collage class rather than a book read for pleasure. The simplistic writing was a bit elementary and didn't keep my attention. The authors used life experiences of several people in a variety of situations to illustrate their point but these stories were too short for me to feel invested in them. The short sections were devoted to odd topics like squalor and solitude. I didn't feel like this book was aimed at readers not in academia and didn't find it entertaining.

[Diana]

Everyone who's interested in adventure should read this book and learn something about leadership, survival and much more. Fascinating psychological insight, and none of the usual "dumbing it down for the masses" either.

[Jonathan]

close to giving it three stars because it was a decent read, but it just skims over so much--I really wanted more in-depth looks into some of these topics, and with detailed examples. instead, it's very surface-level survey and I just don't feel like I learned much.

[Chevalier]

This book is extremely enlightening. I couldn't put it down.

[Ryan Chynces]

This is an awesome book, and a must read for anyone interested in what it takes to be successful, either alone or in a team, in extreme situations.